Indiana Hub

Responding to the Supreme Court's marriage decision last week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the federal government will begin recognizing same-sex marriages taking place in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Idaho - with additional states likely to follow.

Said Holder:

“I am pleased to announce that the federal government will recognize the same-sex marriages now taking place in the affected states, and I have directed lawyers here at the Department of Justice to work with our colleagues at agencies across the Administration to ensure that all applicable federal benefits are extended to those couples as soon as possible. We will not delay in fulfilling our responsibility to afford every eligible couple, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, the full rights and responsibilities to which they are entitled.

He continued:

The steady progress toward LGBT equality we’ve seen – and celebrated – is important and historic. But there remain too many places in this country where men and women cannot visit their partners in the hospital, or be recognized as the rightful parents of their own adopted children; where people can be discriminated against just because they are gay. Challenges to marriage restrictions are still being actively litigated in courts across the country. And while federal appeals courts have so far been unanimous in finding that bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, if a disagreement does arise, the Supreme Court may address the question head-on. If that happens, the Justice Department is prepared to file a brief consistent with its past support for marriage equality.

Though many prominent members of the GOP have come forward in support of marriage equality over the past few months, others are holding fast to their "traditional" point-of-view. Representative Tim Wesco of Indiana's 21st district is one such individual.

A proponent of that state's proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, Wesco said, "I personally can never change my view on that. I'm solid that marriage is between a man and a woman." Unfortunately for Wesco, his perspective is becoming the exception to the marriage equality rule; furthermore, his belief that polygamy could be the next deteriorating shot fired at "traditional marriage" is very nearly a tired cliché.

“Unfortunately, the courts have grown increasingly powerful in the past decade,” said Wesco, facing Democrat Jodi Buoscio for the District 21 seat in elections in November.

He said the Supreme Court, by paving the way for same-sex marriage, isn’t protecting the right to marriage. Rather, it’s aiding in redefining marriage.

“I think the time is coming down the road when it is going to go beyond only same-sex marriage,” Wesco said, hinting at the possibility of polygamy gaining legal protection. If marriage could be expanded to include same-sex couples, then “why can’t three or four people get married?”

Wesco's fears hold no water for the time being, and as we reported several days ago, happy reports of successful marriage license acquisition are coming out of Indiana and several other states.

Huge day for equality as gay couples in Utah, Virginia, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Wisconsin have finally secured the freedom to marry after the Supreme Court refused to review seven gay marriage cases before it this morning.

The court's decision has also paved the way for marriage equality to begin in Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Wyoming in the near future.

Tons of footage and pictures are streaming in from couples who are taking part in this historic day. Check out our rolling coverage AFTER THE JUMP...(warning: autoplay)

Marion County, Indiana Clerk Beth White began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples immediately this morning following the Supreme Court's denial of the challenge to the appeal of the Seventh Circuit Court's decision declaring Indiana's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional, WTHR reports:

"I am delighted to once again welcome all loving Hoosier couples to the Clerk's Office to obtain a marriage license," said Clerk Beth White. "Limbo for these couples is over and they can expect nothing but dignity and respect from our marriage license staff when they arrive."

"We will not offer civil ceremonies as we did in June when same-sex marriage was briefly allowed in Indiana since the same state of urgency does not exist," White said. "When couples decide when their wedding day will be, they have 60 days to use their license."

Prospective applicants are asked to research what the process entails before coming to the Clerk's Office for a license by visiting indy.gov/clerk.

A federal judge yesterday approved an agreement for Indiana to recognize the marriage of two women - one of whom is terminally ill, the Indiana Timesreports:

Veronica Romero and Mayra Yvette Rivera filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court this week asking a judge to order Indiana to recognize their Illinois marriage because Rivera has advanced ovarian cancer.

A joint stipulation was filed Wednesday in which Indiana agreed to recognize the couple's marriage and, in the event of Rivera's death, issue a death certificate listing her as married and recording Romero as the surviving spouse. The Indiana State Department of Health also agreed to assist local health departments, funeral homes, physicians, coroners and others involved in completion of a death certificate to understand their duties in the couple's case.

The case has been stayed while Indiana appeals last week's 7th Circuit ruling overturning its gay marriage ban to the U.S. Supreme Court.